Improvement in ice-creepers



J. L. CONE & F. H. FURNISS'.

ICE-CREEPER.

lie-174,946. Patented March 21,1876.

Witnesses:

M Inventor-z I M PNOTO-UTMOGRAPHE& WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. CONE AND FREDERICK H. FURNISS, OF WATERLOO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT I N lCE-CREEPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17 1,946, dated March 21, 1876; application filed March 6, 1874.

To all whom it may concerh:

Be it known that We, JOHN L. GONE and FREDERICK H. FURNISS, both and severally of Waterloo, Seneca county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Ice- Creepers, of which the following is a specification:

Our improvement relates to an ice-creeper which is attached to the inner edge of the heel, and has a swinging plate which turns forward and back-in one position serving as the creeper to prevent slipping, and in the other resting in the open space at the instep, by which it is out of the way in ordinary walking. This principle is already known in other devices; hence we do not claim it broadly; but our invention consists, essentially, of an ice creeper, constructed as hereinafter described, whereby a simple flat spring serves the double purpose of retaining the journals of the swingil g part in their sockets, and also of producing theproper tension upon the swinging part, as .\'ill be more fully described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a shoe with our improvement attached. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the icecreeper with the swinging part turned back into the position for use. Fig. 3 is'a front elevation of the same in the same position. Fig. 4 is a plan of the bottom of the shoe, showing the same parts.

A represents the front or stationary plate, which is secured fast to the inner edge of the boot or shoe heel by screws or otherwise. 0 is the swinging part, which forms the creeper proper. It is cast in one piece with the stationary journals j j, and an arm, as, with a right-angled or cross end, upon which are the pointed spurs p p. The arm or is bent so that, when turned back, as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, the spurs rest under the heel and form the creeper; but when turned forward, as in dotted lines, the arm rests in the hollow of the instep, and is out of the way i "ir ordinary walking. The stationary plate .1 is of skeleton form. It is cast with side rugs h h, which form the bearings to the journals jj, and these side 'lugs are open, forming only a loop, as shown in the end elevation, Fig. 1. The back side of the plate A,

under the lugs h h, is made entirely open,

leaving only narrow ribs at the edges to preserve the connection. This construction is such that the head b and journals j j of the swinging piece can be dropped therein, the journals then resting in the loop-lugs h h. In this condition a flat steel spring, 9, is placed over the head b, with its ends projecting beneath the lugs h h, and resting upon the body of the plate A, beyond the hole that is made in its body to receive the head and journals, in which condition it rests on one side against said head I), and at the other 'on the frame, being thereby retained in position, and serving the double purpose of, first, securing the connection of the swinging part to the stationary part; and, second, of producing the necessary tension or elastic bearing upon the swinging part, so that in turning the latter will snap open or closed like the blade of a jack-knife.

By the means above described the device can be formed at very small expense, as the parts A O can be cast without trouble, and require no fitting or dressing, while the spring 9 is formed by simply cutting it oil from a length of spring metal. In other devices of this class the hinge-joint has to be made by attachments independent of the spring, and are therefore expensive. In ours the spring itself hinges the two parts together, and gives the tension to the creeper.

We do not claim, broadly, an ice-creeper having a swinging arm attached to a fixed plate; but

We claim- An icecreeper consisting of the plate A, swinging arm 0, and spring 9, said plate being constructed in skeleton form to admit the head and journals of the swinging arm thereon, and the spring resting over and covering said head, and serving the double purpose of retaining the journals in place, and of providing the necessary spring-bearing upon the head, as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN L. CONE. FRED. H. FURNISS. Witnesses:

H. H. KELLY, G. W. SMITH. 

